The Legend of the Fragrant Lotus
by Veigue
Summary: China remains in chaos due to the lands being split. Shu is considered good, while Wei is bad. In the neutral lands of Wu, one family tries to help unite the lands for peace, but will they succeed? [Warning, OCs and OC pairings]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own Dynasty Warriors but I do own my own created characters and the plot.

_**The Legend of the Fragnant Lotus**_

_Chapter 1_

It was the spring of _jianan_ _year (1)_ in China. The lands were in chaos, since it was still not united. The three kingdoms, Shu, Wei and Wu, were all in a desperate fight with each other to achieve this great goal, to bring peace to China. Recently, this has been done so, when the great lord Cao Cao has been defeated by the joint forces of Wu and Shu at Chi Bi. The battle may have ended, but the war did not.

Our story starts in a city, north west to the Wu capital, Jianye. It was named _Nan Cheng (2)._ Perhaps, this small city was the most peaceful of all in the province, since it was well-governed. However, with the confusion throughout the land, even this city was suffering from a few ruffian attacks.

„We got you now! You can't run away!" yelled a man who ran towards a young lad and tried to strike him, but failed to do so since the lad dodged the attack easily. He fell on the ground groaning, injuring his chin but stood up quickly.

The young man looked around. He was surrounded by three quite unfriendly men, not to mention quite a few people have gathered around to watch the fight. His attackers carried different kinds of weapons, while he had nothing. He clearly was in disadvantage. He had no other choice but to defend and run around.

„Come with us and you won't die so soon!" laughed another man and tried to injure the lad by slashing his arm but he failed just like his friend.

„You idiots! Can't you kill a rotten bookworm?! PREPARE TO DIE!!!!!!" their leader cried.

„STOP!!" came a voice from the crowd stopping the fight for a moment. From the crowd emerged a young woman dressed in a luxurious red silk robe. She had long black hair that was partially tied up into a bun with a classy hairpin that had feathers in it. She had plain make up on and had pearl earrings in her ears. She walked up to the scene and glared at the bandits.

„Just who do you think you are trying to hurt an innocent person! You scums! You disgust me! Leave in peace or else!" she said bravely.

As the men started to laugh, the young man looked at the woman. Her brown eyes shone with determination. He was quite suprised that how could such a beautiful young woman behave that way. He had to do something to protect the both of them, he only had to figure out what. But before he could have done anything, one of the men grabbed her and held a knife to her throat.

„Hahaha, serves you right ya little wench! So what's it gonna be? You cry for daddy?!" they all laughed. She started to struggle but he held her firmly.

„Watch it girly or your pretty little neck will be cut!" looking at the young lad he continued.

„Oh, almost forgot about you…you have no choice. You come with us, or the girl gets it!"

Before the lad could have answered him, the girl bit his hand as hard as she could, causing it to bleed and ran behind the lad. The man cursed, but those were his last words, as he was struck down by a sword. As their leader bled to death on the ground, the other two tried to run off but they were caught by soldiers and got arrested. They then ordered the citizens to get back to work. The soldiers restored peace to the area.

The young lad turned around and faced the lady. She sighed in relief.

„Are you alright?" he asked.

The girl nodded. „I am fine…"

„I am glad, but next time, don't get yourself into trouble, okay?"

„Look who says that!" she said playfully putting her hands on her hips.

„I apologize for my rudeness. I have not even introduced myself to you. My name is Ti Jiang and I am from Sizhou." he bowed.

She blinked. _„I have never heard of such a name like that before…what an odd name.."_

„I am called Xiang Fei and I am from Yangzhou." She smiled.

„_A-an imperial concubine stood up for me…?(3) That's not good…I could get into trouble…" _Ti Jiang's eyes widend and bowed twice.

„I apologize…I enjoyed chatting with you but I must be going thought. It is getting dark. I need to find a place to rest." He stated.

„You don't have anywhere to go?" she asked curiously.

„…yes."

„Come with me. I will give you shelter, food and whatnot." She smiled.

„I can't trouble you this much. I…" but before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off as he got dragged towards to a carriage. Ti Jiang sighed and sat in after she sat down in the carriage. After he got in the carriage started moving. Ti Jiang stared out of the window of the carriage, wondering what should he do now. Xiang Fei noticed that he was deep in thoughts and decided to speak to him.

„Is something wrong?"

„No. Nothing."

„You seem troubled."

„It is nothing, really."

„Why did they attack you?" Xiang Fei asked innocently.

Ti Jiang looked at her. Unknowningly to her, the question shook him to the core. He did not know what to say to her. It could have gotten the both of them in trouble if he explained his situation to her. He was especially nervous because she would take him to her place. He decided to make up a lie so she would not get involved in his problem.

„I was in the market trying to buy some fresh fruits, when out of nowhere they appeared and tried to rob me…and they did."

„Oh, I am sorry to hear that. By the way…Now that you will be staying with us for quite awhile. I will tell you about my family."

Ti Jiang blinked. „F-family?"

„Of course silly. I am living with my family in the biggest house in the city, that is located in the far back of it. My father is the governor of the city." She smiled.

His eyes widend. „G-governor?"

„Yes. My father Xiang Zhen is the governor of Nan Cheng for fourteen years already."

„_Then…she cannot be a concubinet…can she?" _he pondered then spoke back. „Wow, that is a long time."

„The Xiang Family has governed the city ever since the yellow turbans have caused such a havoc to the country." She stated.

„I see…" he nodded.

„Now that you know my father, I will tell you about my siblings. I am the eldest of five children!" she said happily.

His jaw-dropped. „Five?!"

„You are not the only one to get so suprised." She laughed.

He remembered how his mother had trouble taking care of him, his elder brother and younger sister. Neither of them were really a calm child, they always wanted to explore and have fun. Imagining two more brothers or sisters made him twitch. He looked at Xiang Fei as she continued.

„The second eldest in our family is Xiang Zhai, my brother. He is two years younger than me and is already an accomplished general. He is a master of weaponry and has already been to the battlefield quite a few times. When he returned from battle, he never recieved a wound. Not even a scratch!"

„_That is amazing...he sounds like a great man." _thought Ti Jiang as she continued.

„The third in line is Xiang Lian, my sister. She is three years younger than me and is highly intelligent. She has been studying since she was three. Because of that the people around in the area likes to spread rumors about her." She laughed.

„_So she is the one that I have heard about…the girl who was as intelligent as she was beautiful…but how could she be the sister of an imperial concubine…?"_

„My youngest sister is Xiang Hua. She is six years younger than me and is very beautiful. She…er…" she pondered for a moment causing Ti Jiang to raise his eyebrows.

„Well she can dance!" she nodded and smiled.

He sweatdropped. He hated that type of women.

„Well, they are my family. How about yours Lord Ti Jiang?" she asked happily.

Ti Jiang paniced a bit. He could not tell her about his family. If he told about his family, she would know about his situation, causing her to be in danger. He would not want that. He then blinked as he noticed Xiang Fei staring at him.

„_Wait a minute…didn't she just say…"_

„Didn't you say you are the eldest of five children? What of your youngest sibling?"

„Oh…" she began sadly. „I had a younger brother. His name was Xiang Jiao. He died five years ago."

„And your mother?"

„She died giving birth to him."

„I am sorry…"

„It is not your fault." She said smiling at him.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped moving and they both got out. Ti Jiang stared at the huge front gates in awe. His eyes then wandered to the door where a flower has been carved in it, above it the family's name. After it opened and they both went in. Inside the Xiang estate, he looked around as they went, walking and admiring the beauty of the gardens and the ponds.

After awhile they arrived in the main part of the house. Xiang Fei led Ti Jiang into a huge room, where a man sat by a table and drank tea. He looked like he was in his late fourties and had a thick moustache and beard. He wore a deep crimson silk robe and his hair was arranged under a dark blue headdress.

„Father!" Xiang Fei greeted the man.

„Ah, Fei_-_Fei you are finally back. Did you buy what you wanted?" he asked.

She nodded happily then blinked as her father stood up angrily from the table.

„What is the meaning of this Fei?! You brought a man to the house?! Who is he!" he demanded.

Ti Jiang bowed low. „Forgive me my lord. My name is Ti Jiang and I am from Sizhou. I am a wanderer."

„_The Tis? Never heard of them…" _Xiang Zhen blinked then sighed and bowed back. „I am Xiang Zhen governor of Nan Cheng. Thank the ancestors for that you are not interested in my Fei-Fei!"

„Father!"

„You can stand up now, son." He laughed.

Ti Jiang stood up slowly and smiled sheepishly. Xiang Zhen seemed like a good and kind man. He offered him a seat in front of him which he gladly took. Xiang Fei then brought in more tea and prepared food for the both of them.

„So, Lord Ti Jiang, what brings you here to Nan Cheng?" Xiang Zhen asked as he took a sip from his tea.

Ti Jiang stiffend a bit and quickly thought for an answer. „I was searching for my relatives. I have not seen them for a long time. I got word that they were seen in this territory last."

„Oh? I sincerly hope you do find them. If you want I can help you out." He nodded smiling.

„That is alright my lord, you have already done so much for me. I cannot ask for more."

„Nonsense son!" he laughed.

Xiang Fei then spoke up. „I promised Lord Ti Jiang a room for a couple of days. He has been attacked and robbed out. I thought that it would have been nice to invite him." She smiled.

„If my Fei-Fei trusts you, so will I. Welcome to our home son!" he laughed louder.

Home. How he longed for one. How he wanted a place he could call home. And of course, not only that, he wanted his family too. But they were no longer in this world…and he had to be strong. He had to avenge them and keep the Ti family name live.

Before he could think more thought, silence fell in the room. Everybody turned their attention to the person who entered the room.

„Father, could you please keep it down? I am trying to teach Hua."

------------------

_(1) Jianan year – 209 A.D._

_(2) Nan Cheng – Fictional city, if one may exist I had no idea of it. (lol)_

_(3) Ti Jiang thinks she is an imperial concubine, because „Xiang Fei" can mean „Imperial Fragnant Consort", but don't worry, she is not. (lol)_

**A/N : BOO! **Well, hope you all liked it. I will try to update it as soon as possible. I have still not decided on the pairings in this fic, so I hope you can help me out with that. Anyways, please read and review and feel free to give me advices and ideas. Until next time.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

The speaker slowly walked over to the table where Ti Jiang and Xiang Zhen enjoyed their meals. The person stopped in front of the table and looked at Xiang Zhen with a rather annoyed look on her face before speaking again.

„Father, you need to speak a bit more quietly, else I cannot teach your lovely daughter."

„My apologies, my dear!" he laughed.

Standing close to her father, Xiang Fei giggled as she watched their guest staring at her sister. Ti Jiang stared at the woman that stood inches away from him with wide eyes and his mouth a bit open. She wore a simple dark purple robe and a golden headdress was on the top of her head. Her long black hair was partially down but part of it was in a bun, that was tied with a purple ribbon. She also had two thin golden earrings in her ears. She had stunning facial features. Her voice was absolutely beautiful. Her whole presence was striking in Ti Jiang's opinion. It was love at first sight for him.

„_S-she must be…the one…that I heard…so many things of…Xiang...Lian…" _hethought.

„Anyways, I am very happy that you are here my dear. We have a guest now if you did not notice it!" Xiang Zhen continued happily.

The girl raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Ti Jiang, who quickly stood up and bowed deeply before her.

„I apologize for my rudeness for not greeting you and for not introducing myself earlier my lady. My name is Ti Jiang and I am a wanderer."

She analyzed Ti Jiang from head to toes with her eyes. _„Ti…what…? Wanderer…? …really…now …"_

She nodded and coldly spoke back to him. „I am Xiang Lian."

Ti Jiang blinked as she stared at him in a weird way. _„I…I don't…get it…?"_

„Lian! Where are your manners!" said Xiang Fei.

Xiang Lian turned away with a snort. Just then someone ran into the room.

„WAAAAAH!" cried the newcomer and ran up to Xiang Zhen and hugged him tightly.

„What is the matter Hua-Hua?" asked Zhen.

„Daddy, daddy!!! Lian is soooo mean to me!" whined the girl.

„What did your sister do to you?"

„She keeps yelling at me and she orders me around! I can never do what I want!"

„Lian is this true?"

Xiang Lian shook her head. „Hua does not pay attention. No matter how or what I teach her, she always loses focus. She keeps playing around."

Xiang Zhen sweatdropped as he stared at his youngest daughter. Xiang Hua was the „blacksheep" of the family. His son was as dutiful and strong like his grandfather. His eldest daughter was the exact copy of her mother. Xiang Lian was the mirror image of her grandmother...but what about Hua? Who did Hua resemble? Nobody in the family was like Hua. He sweatdropped again as he saw the loving look on her cute face. The little girl was already too busy staring at Ti Jiang. Xiang Zhen sighed deeply and prepared for the worst.

Xiang Hua gasped and slowly walked over to Ti Jiang. She grinned at him happily and loudly introduced herself to him. „Hi! I am Xiang Hua! I am very happy to meet you!!!"

Ti Jiang blinked and bowed to her. „I am Ti Jiang, a wanderer and I am also happy to meet you too."

With the exception of Ti Jiang and Xiang Lian, everybody sighed in the room as Hua giggled and winked at him.

„Great. Just what I have expected from Hua. Again acting like a cheap little singer-girl." Xiang Lian rolled her eyes.

„Shhh, don't say mean things about her." Xiang Fei whispered to her.

„Whatever you say, my dearest sister, but I don't want to see this yet again. I have much more better things to do than to see Hua going lusty over another man. So if you all please, I will excuse myself now." And with that she left the room in a haste.

„Um…um…father, I think I will leave too, so that I can calm Lian down." Fei announced and ran after her.

Xiang Zhen sighed. He felt sorry for poor Ti Jiang, as he would be soon victimized by his daughter, Hua. Ti Jiang sweatdropped and looked around as the petite girl stood before him and kept staring at him lovingly.

---

Xiang Lian walked down the stairs, ignoring her sister's callings to her. As she passed their house's inner gardens, she thought her sister would give up on her, but her way of thinking proved to be incorrect.

„Sister!"

She kept walking.

„Sister…"

And she still kept walking, until Xiang Fei finally caught up to her.

„Sister, what's the matter with you? Why so rude to Hua and to our guest?"

„I don't think I need to explain that to you."

„I saw the way he looked at you. He seemed falling for you!" Fei smiled.

„Just like all the other men around this area."

„Lian, he is different."

„And how would you know that?" asked Lian curiously raising one of her eyebrows at her.

„I feel it. Lord Ti Jiang seems like an honourable man. I am sure he will be the man for you! How nice that would be…my little sister married and having children…" Fei smiled happily.

„If you think he is that good, why not offering Hua to him? He could teach her a thing or two…and who knows, she might turn into a totally different person." She laughed.

„Oh don't be so mean to poor Hua! You know what she is like..."

„Like a pr-…"

„Don't even say it!"

„Fine. Is that all what you wanted to tell me?"

„Well…yes…"

Xiang Fei stopped talking and stared at her sister who turned around and took a few steps towards a lily pond that was close to them. She then stared up at the sky.

„How long do you plan to keep it away from father?" Lian asked her simply.

„What?"

„You know it well what I am talking about…"

„…"

---

Ti Jiang sighed in relief as nobody was left in the room but him and the lord Xiang Zhen. Not that he was bothered by the elder lady Xiangs, but the younger one made him feel uneasy. She was quite clingy and childish. He snapped out of his thoughts and stared at the man seated across him as he spoke.

„Please, forgive my daughters' rude behaviour."

„It is alright Lord Zhen. Nothing happend" he nodded.

The lord sighed and took a sip from his tea, while Ti Jiang's eyes wandered on the paintings that decorated the wall. In total, there were six hanging on the wall, two portraits and one featuring the whole family. Noticing his guest's curiousity of the paintings, Xiang Zhen spoke up.

„That is my late wife."

„She just looks like Lady Xiang Fei."

„She is the exact copy of her mother, both in appearance and in personality." He nodded.

Ti Jiang nodded. The woman looked indeed beautiful, with her gentle eyes and with her radiant smile. He sadly thought that Xiang Lian did not have them, but had sad eyes and she did not smile at all. Xiang Zhen noticed Ti Jiang frowning and continued.

„She passed away giving birth to my youngest son. All of us were deeply affected by her passing. Especially my middle daughter, Lian." Pointing to the other portrait he continued to speak more. „That young lad was my youngest son, Xiang Jiao. He died not so long ago."

„I am sorry Lord Xiang…"

„And that would be our big family." smiled Xiang Zhen proudly at the huge painting.

Ti Jiang stared at it and was amazed by the size of the picture and also that it had sixteen people on it. Ti Jiang's eyes caught two things on the painting. First, that on the left side of the picture, someone's hand was only being painted on the picture, as if the painting was imcomplete and there was a missing part of it. The other was an elderly lady who had a child on her lap and was embracing her. As if knowing what Ti Jiang was thinking, Xiang Zhen looked at him and suprised him with his words.

„That lady is my mother, Xu Lian Yi. She is holding her precious granddaughter Xiang Lian."

Ti Jiang gasped. The lady thought being old, had similar facial features as Xiang Lian. Her lips, her nose, her face's shape, they were the same! „_So then she resembles her grandmother…"_

„And that man on the left was supposed to be my friend, Ma Teng, but the painting was already too big for us." laughed Xiang Zhen. „Don't worry, he got his own family portrait."

Ti Jiang got suprised that Xiang Zhen would know of the great Ma Teng.

„Lord Xiang, how do you know Lord Ma Teng?"

„For generations, the Xiang family was always in friendly terms with the Ma Clan in the north. It is a lifetime dream of me, that one day our families would become one!" he laughed.

Before Ti Jiang could ask more, a servant boy rushed in to the room. He bowed deeply to the both of them.

„I hope it is very important sonny." stood up Xiang Zhen from his seat sighing.

„Lord Xiang Zhen! You have recieved a message!"

---

**A/N :** I apologize for how late I have posted this! I had lots of problems (will not whine about it lol), but what matters now, that I am here and will work on this fic! (at least will try my best to do so lol)

Let me say thank you to all who have read my fic! Especially to _**celzlie**_ who will have now a special place in my heart, since she reviewed it first. Thank you very much celzlie!

_**Celzlie**__ : Thanks for your lovely review! This chapter, I think answers your question, since it implies of the Mas (Ma Chao and his family), but to make it clear yes. Yes of course. Our favourite heros will have important roles in this fic. Mostly everybody will appear in this fic._

Thanks for reading, hopefully you all enjoyed it! Until the next chapter (that hopefully will come out soon)!!!


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